“I was afraid...that is...” She blew out a breath and straightened her spine. If she couldn’t be honest with him, then there was no future for them at all. “I was afraid you wouldn’t be completely honest with me, that you’d make light of things you thought would upset me, like the fact that vampires don’t grow old.”
Her words deflated his anger and he dropped down on the sofa beside her. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. “Did he answer all your questions?”
“For the time being.”
His gaze searched hers. “Do you feel differently about me now?”
“No. Not about you.”
“About vampires?”
She nodded. “Some of it is scary. Most little boys want to be firemen or cowboys. Why did you want to be a vampire?”
“Because of Saintcrow. He’s always fascinated me. He’s strong and powerful. Everyone respects him. He can do all these amazing things...” Conor shrugged. “Some of itisscary, but it’s all I’ve ever wanted to be.”
“How do you spend your days? I mean, nights.”
“Thinking about you, mostly.”
“That’s very flattering, but what did you do before we met?”
“I spent a lot of time getting used to being a vampire. I need to...” He swore under his breath. There was just no way to say “feed” or “hunt” and make it sound normal.
“Saintcrow said you needed blood. Is that what you’re trying to say?”
“I was trying to find a way to make it sound less creepy.”
She laughed in spite of herself. “Go on.”
“I did what most people do. I dated. Went to movies. Watched TV. Thought about the future. Spent time with my folks and their friends. Just regular stuff. Until I met you.”
Now for the big question, he thought. And knew his whole future depended on her answer. “Where does all this leave us?”
“I’m not sure. I just know I don’t want to stop seeing you. At least not now. I want to spend time with the real you before I make any decisions.”
“Therealme?”
“I don’t want you to hide what you are, what you feel, what you think. Does that make sense?”
“Yeah, I’m afraid it does. Does this make sense?” Drawing her into his arms, he claimed her lips with his in a long, slow kiss that left no doubt in her mind that he was serious, and that, if he had his way, he would never let her go.
~ * ~
Sunday morning, Bryn woke smiling. She and Conor had talked far into the night. She had asked him some of the questions she had asked Saintcrow, just to see if Conor’s answers were the same as his father’s. And they were. They had spent a long time in each other’s arms, each kiss and each caress making her want him more. His body was so tempting, all that muscular male flesh, the silk of his hair, the pleasure of his mouth on hers. Not to mention the way she melted at his touch, the wonder of his kisses, the husky sound of his voice when he whispered that he loved her. How would she ever let him go?
Needing something else to think about, she called her sister and had a nice, long chat, then called her parents, something she didn’t do often enough.
Later, sitting on the sofa, she switched on the music channel on the TV, willing the hours to hurry by so she could see Conor again. What was it really like to be a vampire? Did he miss the sunlight? Food? Sure, it would be nice to have all those supernatural abilities. Who didn’t grow up wishing they could fly? Or change shape? As a little girl, she had often pretended to be a horse, galloping around the playground. If she became a vampire, would she still feel like herself? Or would she feel different? She would still look human but she wouldn’t be mortal. There would be a gulf between her and her loved ones, a chasm she couldn’t cross. What would her parents think? What would Rae think?
Feeling a headache coming on, she closed her eyes...
She was happily walking along a narrow path in a heavily-wooded forest when the world suddenly went dark. Filled with apprehension, she came to an abrupt halt as she realized she was lost. She glanced around, but nothing looked familiar. The sky was dark. The air cold. Even the trees seemed suddenly ominous. She let out a startled cry when a man materialized infront of her – a man with inky black hair and midnight blue eyes. Conor.
She felt a moment of relief. Relief that quickly turned to terror when his eyes took on a faint red glow. He smiled wolfishly and she saw his fangs, bright-white and razor sharp.
She took a hasty step back. But it was too late. In a blur of movement too fast for her to follow, he was there beside her. His arm was like steel around her.
“Mine,” he said, his voice like rolling thunder. “You were meant to be mine.”